Strawberry's bakery
by vphunter
Summary: In need of money in order to keep his family's business from closing down ichigo places a help wanted ad in the local news paper all he asked for was someone who could cook... Im still working on a summary for this. GrimmIchi
1. Chapter 1

Title: Jello-o

Summary: Help wanted; looking for a full time baker for Kurosaki bakery, requirements: as long as it edible you're hired. Not my greatest summary. GrimmIchi…

Authors Note: I bet you can't guess what I was eating when I wrote this. Anyway enjoy.

**Review; I do appreciate all feedback the good or the bad.**

**Beta Read By**_: _**Black Sun Upon An Icy Sky; thanks**

**Disclaimer: **_**I do not own bleach**_

Chapter 1

Ichigo POV:

"I'll have the money, just give me until the first of the month," I said into the telephone's microphone in a soft tone hoping that my younger sisters couldn't hear my conversation with the debt collectors from Las Noches Banking Firm.

"I understand that," I sighed into the phone trying not to sound agitated. "Last month's payment was only half and I intend on paying the rest this month along with the amount that's due for this month and with interest!" I accidentally shouted into the phone, praying that none of the customers could hear me – if there were any.

My family owns a bakery in downtown Karakura. My parents started this company back when I was six and business went pretty for a while even after my mother passed away.

My father said it was his duty to keep Masaki's dream alive, so he closed down the small clinic he was running and decided to devote all of his time and energy into our bakery. He had spent weeks teaching himself how to bake and once his baked goods became edible we reopened the Kurosaki bakery.

Even though father's baking wasn't as good as my mom's we still sold enough to earn us a living. Plus my little sister Yuzu helped out in the kitchen so my father wasn't alone, Karin and I helped out whenever we could, too.

Times were hard after my mother passed away but we managed to make due. The loans that my family took out with Las Noches and the monthly payments were met and we had enough in our savings so money wasn't that much of an concern.

Until my father's accident.

My father was walking to the local market to buy more sugar for this cake he was baking. When he was crossing the intersection a car had struck him. The driver wasn't paying attention to the road but rather to her cell phone and ran my father over, thank god he survived.

My father's health insurance had expired at that time and he was in the process of getting new health insurance before the accident but he had yet to be approved. So we ended up using all our savings to pay for his medical bills but when that wasn't enough we had to take out a new loan.

I took over the bakery while my father was being treated and ended up dropping out of school. Only until my father was well enough to run the bakery, but after he lost mobility he became depressed and didn't want to do anything. It was a shock to me and my younger sisters because he was always so goofy, but I guess if I'd lose the ability to walk, too, I wouldn't be sunshine and rainbows either.

So what started out as just a way to help out the family in our time of need became a full time job. I ended up dropping out of school entirely because college was just too expensive. So my dad placed the bakery in my somewhat capable hands.

As funding became low I took out another loan. With the leading finical firm in Karakura, which I regret.

If I had known that Las Noches was nothing more than a group of loan sharks I wouldn't have taken out a loan with them. The only reason why my business hasn't been taken away yet is because of Aizen.

If Aizen didn't want to screw me so badly our bakery would have been shut down.

"Just give us two more weeks that's all I'm asking," I said into the phone with desperation.

"I understand you already extended it for a week!" I yelled again. Damn I should learn to control my temper. "Just until November 1st, that's all I'm asking and we'll pay." I said as I hung up the phone, debating if I should take Aizen up on his offer or not.

"Ichigo..." I was pulled out of my thoughts as I heard my name.

"What was all that about?" Karin asked with a worried look.

"Don't worry, it was nothing." I lied, hoping she bought it. She gave me a questioning look. "If you need more help I can always quit my afternoon activities and help out more," she said as she leant against the door frame.

"No, I can handle it." I said as I walked back to the kitchen.

"Clearly you can't if you have to keep begging for extensions because you can't make the monthly payment." She said in an exasperated tone.

"I can manage." I said again. "There's no need to worry, everything is fine." I said with a fake smile of reassurance. She just stared at me and finally sighed. "Fine…" With that she walked away.

I refuse to have my little sisters constantly worrying about our family debts. I'll find a way to fix this.

Xxxxxxxx

Grimmjow POV

"I quit!" I yelled as I threw my apron to the ground.

"What the hell do you mean you quit!" My boss yelled back at me.

"Just what the fuck it meant: I quit, this is the last straw! You've been cutting my check for the last three fucking pay periods and this month you only paid me a quarter of what you owe me;" I yelled as I made my exit.

"I mean it, this time I'm fed up, god damn it." I yelled and all the customers slowly stopped eating to watch us argue.

"You can't quit tonight, we're serving a full house and you're the head fucking chef!" My boss yelled back.

"Screw you, I have a kid to feed and if you're not willing to fucking pay me at all then I quit!" I yelled back as I exited the restaurant through the front.

"Damn it," I said underneath my breath. That cheap bastard had been cutting my hourly wages.

I could understand if business was declining and he couldn't afford to pay me but the bastard has one of the most popular restaurants in Karakura, which was all because of me I may add. The only reason why I didn't quite until today was because of Nel. I can't have my kid starving for my own selfish reasons. I was willing to buy all this shit about how he would add the rest to next month's payment until today when that bastard had the nerve to pay me only a quarter of my salary.

'_I refuse to be that man's bitch,'_ I thought to myself as I walked to pick up Nel from her daycare, before I start looking in the local newspaper for job postings.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Yeah I have no excuse I just got lazy and forgot about this, Sorry.**

**Review.**

**BTW this was not beta'd **

* * *

Chapter 2

"I can't believe I allowed myself to accommodate all this debt…" the orange haired man said as he rubbed his head in frustration. "I can't deal with this shit right now." Ichigo sighed and walked into hallway and frowned when he caught a glimpse of his face in the wall length mirror that was located in the main hallway.

Dark circles had appeared under Ichigo's eyes a long side some worry lines from constant stress due to the debt that was hanging over his head.

Truning away from his reflection Ichigo sighed and walked back into the kitchen "Shit I need a drink." and grabbed his keys and cell phone off the kitchen counter. "Karin I'm stepping out for a bit… I'll be back sometime tonight." Ichigo yelled before putting on his red jacket and closed the front door.

The orange haired man sighed loudly as he closed the fence to his front yard and yelled "Fuck!" before blushing in embarrassment when a mother walking her small child gave him a dirty look and covered the small boy's ears. The small child looked up with a puzzled face, not understanding why his mother covered his ears and looked over in the direction of ichigo then back at his mother and asked.

"Mom what's fuck mean?" Ichigo looked away and his face turned darker and walk away to dodge the verbal assaulted aimed his way.

"Shit today is just not my day… no scratched that this has been a fucked up year." Ichigo sighed and pulled out his phone and flip it open and started scrolling down the list of his contacts until he reached the number of his best friend and clicked call.

* * *

"_Boy you got my heartbeat runnin' away"_  
_"Beating like a drum and it's coming your way"__  
__"Can't you hear that boom, badoom, boom, boom, badoom, boom, bass"__  
__"Yeah that's that super bass"_

"Nice ringtone Renji… Who's the guy that took your heart?" the black haired man asked and started to bat his eyes with an amused smirk.

Renji blushed deepened "Fuck you Shuuhei… It's no~" the red haired started to say before stopping as he read the name of the caller and started to giggle like an idiot.

Shuuhei looked over at his friend with a puzzled look. 'That's odd usally he would be bitching at the caller… but he blushing!' was the only thoughts that ran through Shuuhei head before his eyes became larger and his mouth opened a fraction 'Did he just giggle!'

"I got to take this cal~" the Renji said but stopping when he looked over at his friend's face and frowned 'why the hell is he looking at me like that?' the red haired asked himself.

"What?" Renji asked oblivious to his own actions.

"Your blushing and giggling over a phone call…" the black haired man simply stated and frowned "did you get a girl or something?" Shuuhei asked.

"Tch whatever… if I did it not like I have to tell you." the red haired said and walked to a back room not wanting the other to hear his phone call and sighed with a smile as he tried to hide his excitement not wanting the other to hear how happy he was over the phone call.

"What's up ichi…" the red haired said as he closed the door to the bedroom and rested his head against the door frame and grinned.

"What's up Ichi?" Red haired said into the microphone and rolled over so that his back was against the door.

"Ohh nothing much… just Aizen lap dogs harassing me again over that loan I told you about." Ichigo sighed into the phone.

"You know ichi if you need the mone~" the red haired started to say before he was cut off by the other.

"I don't want a hand out Renji, I can fix this." Renji frowned he knew ichigo was too proud and stubborn to ask for help.

"Still ichigo its ok to ask for help we are friends, you don't have to bare this alone." The red haired argued.

"Renji I got myself into this and I can't get myself out… Besides you have to pay for school." Ichigo whispered the last part.

"Ichi~" Rengi was about to speak again but was cut off. "Renji, I won't borrow money from you, but if you really want to help me why don't you buy me a drink?" Ichigo stated hoping to change the subject, and it worked.

"Su-Sure." Renji stuttered out and battered himself for how excited he got by the others offer.

"Good cause I'm on my way! I'll be there in five minutes. Bye!" Ichigo said before hanging up the phone.

"What!" Renji yelled into the microphone and frowned at his appearance and tossed open his dresser looking for something to wear.

* * *

"Congrats Grimm on finally quitting that job ya always bitching about…" Nnoitra said looking over at his friend and stated laughing. "After all ya kid might go without food, but at least ya still got ya pride."

"Fuck you…" the blue haired man hissed at the other. "Shut up before I make you pay the tab."

"Tch whatever." The black haired man said under his breath and took another sip of his drink. "Im not the one who quit his job..." Nnoitra said as he put his glass down.

Grimmjow glared at the other and sighed 'he did have a point… how the hell am I going to find a job now…'

TBCxxxxx


End file.
